GENERAL SANTOS CITY (PIA) -- The Social Security System (SSS) General Santos Branch on Tuesday (Oct. 4) visited 11 establishments here to serve them a notice order directing them to pay the overdue monthly contribution of their employees.

The activity implemented under RACE which stands for Run After Contribution Evaders aims to call out delinquent employers of their obligation to pay the SSS contribution of their employees within the 15-day period from the time the order was served.

Redentor Viola, vice president of SSS Mindanao South II Division said RACE is a campaign to raise people's awareness and consciousness especially among employers to be responsible and compliant in reporting and paying the SSS contribution of their employees.

He said that these employers were being served notice orders because “based on preliminary inspection,” they were remiss with their “legal obligation” to comply the mandatory payment as spelled out under Republic Act No. 11199 or the Social Security Act of 2018.  

“Nai-subject po natin sa visitation are 11 employers. Then there were two whose violation is non-registration and nine are non-payment of contributions. Maliban sa non-payment of contributions, mayroon din under reporting so all and all there were 11. Commonly, ‘yon naman talaga ang violations nung mga employers na sina-subject natin sa RACE,” Viola said.

The latest RACE operation was the 8th of the 10 SSS Gensan Branch operations this year. The remaining two will be conducted later this month.

Viola, who led the operation, said that they will take legal action against those employers who will not comply despite the 15-day grace period given to them.  

“We will refer the case further to the operation legal… so that they will be serving the final demand so after that pa-filan na po sila ng kaso ‘pag hindi pa rin sila nag-comply, ‘yan po ang sequence, ang magiging proseso sa mga di nagko-comply,” he added.

Viola further said that even with the final demand, delinquent employers will still be given another 10 days to comply before the filing of the case at the fiscal office and if there’s a probable cause this will be brought to the Regional Trial Court that will then issue the warrant of arrest.

But delinquent employers can also avail of the SSS Pandemic Relief and Restructuring Program-Enhanced Installment Payment Program or PPRP 3 up until November this year, said Atty. Zavier Palao of the Mindanao South Legal Department.

According to him, "we have the ongoing installment scheme. Kung sino yung di makapagbayad ng one time pwede sila mag-avail ng until two years na installment plan, magbabayad sila ng monthly amortization.” 

He also expressed the hope for the implementation soon of condonation of penalties in delinquency payments so that “mabawasan ’yung liability ng mga concerned employers.”  

Palao said that the implementation of condonation would reduce the liability of concerned employers since they would be left with the obligation to only pay the principal amount.   

Aside from General Santos, Mindanao South II Division also covers SSS branches in Sarangani, Koronadal, Tacurong, Kidapawan, and Cotabato.

Also Viola noted that through RACE operations, “more than 40% of our target in delinquency collection has already been met for the last eight months.”  

The RACE campaign team that operated in Gensan also comprised the Philippine National Police, Philippine Information Agency, and the media. (CTA/PIA SarGen)